Webb GI Bill Passes Senate, McCain Skips Vote

*** UPDATE BELOW ***

The Associated Press reports that the Webb GI Bill has passed the Senate:

Senate Republicans have broken with President Bush to help Democrats add support for veterans and the unemployed to a bill paying for another year of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

The 75-22 vote also added billions of dollars in other domestic funds such as heating subsidies for the poor and money for fighting wildfires to the $165 billion for the military operations overseas.

...The huge tally in the Senate was driven by $15.6 billion over two years to extend unemployment benefits by 13 weeks and more than $50 billion over the upcoming decade to provide returning Iraq war veterans with sharply increased college aid.

Both Sens. Obama and Clinton voted in favor of the bill. Sen. McCain skipped the vote (as did Sens. Tom Coburn and Ted Kennedy).

Howard Dean released a statement criticizing McCain for skipping the vote:

"America's veterans and military families deserve better than a candidate who is willing to keep our troops in Iraq for 100 years, but refuses to take care of them when they come home. The men and women in who volunteer to put on the uniform of the United States of America risk their lives to defend our freedoms, and we should do everything we can to help them be successful when they come home. While Senator McCain talks about supporting our troops and veterans on the campaign trail, his real record tells a much different story. While we honor his service to our country, Senator McCain's double talk on veterans' benefits is one more reason he is the wrong choice for America's future."

Obama also responded to McCain's absence:

I respect sen. John McCain's service to our country. He is one of those heroes of which I speak. But I can't understand why he would line up behind the President in his opposition to this GI bill.

I can't believe why he believes it is too generous to our veterans. I could not disagree with him and the President more on this issue. There are many issues that lend themselves to partisan posturing but giving our veterans the chance to go to college should not be one of them.

And McCain hammered back in a particularly harsh response:

"Perhaps, if Senator Obama would take the time and trouble to understand this issue he would learn to debate an honest disagreement respectfully. But, as he always does, he prefers impugning the motives of his opponent, and exploiting a thoughtful difference of opinion to advance his own ambitions. If that is how he would behave as President, the country would regret his election."...

"It is typical, but no less offensive that Senator Obama uses the Senate floor to take cheap shots at an opponent and easy advantage of an issue he has less than zero understanding of. Let me say first in response to Senator Obama, running for President is different than serving as President. The office comes with responsibilities so serious that the occupant can't always take the politically easy route without hurting the country he is sworn to defend. Unlike Senator Obama, my admiration, respect and deep gratitude for America's veterans is something more than a convenient campaign pledge. I think I have earned the right to make that claim."

UPDATE: Obama has responded to McCain, calling him out for making 'schoolyard taunts':

I am proud to stand with Senator Webb and a bipartisan coalition to give our veterans the support and opportunity they deserve. It's disappointing that Senator McCain and his campaign used this issue to launch yet another lengthy personal, political attack instead of debating an honest policy difference. He should know that this is not about John McCain or Barack Obama - it's about giving our veterans a real chance to afford four years of college without harming retention. Senator Webb's bipartisan bill will do this, and the bill that John McCain supports would not. These endless diatribes and schoolyard taunts from the McCain campaign do nothing to advance the debate about what matters to the American people.

Comments

[PaulC37943]

When I left the army in 1975, I went to college on the GI BIll and at that time it was enough to get me both a bachelor's and master's Degree. Since then my two son's have both served in the army. My older son graduated from college with a bachelor's degree last year and has a fat college loan to pay off. My younger son just got back from the middle east a couple of months ago, after being stop-loss extended twice, and without the Webb bill, he will probably be in the same boat as his brother after college. Obama showed up and voted to support our troops. McCain didn't show up and phoned in a nasty-gram. To hell with McCain.

[mamacat]

An "honest disagreement"?
Sen. McCain has had all the time in the world to come up with a cogent reason for denying our veterans this G I Bill, but I have not heard anything from him, or from the President, or from anyone else, that makes a lick of sense.

[PioneerKing]

McCain disrespected our vets by failing to make an appearance to vote Yea or Nay on this legislation.
What an absolute hypocrite McCain has proven to be!
McCain's feigns indignation and makes snide comments about Sen. Obama but McCain's actions are shallow and disingenuous.
For McCain to say "...first in response to Senator Obama, running for President is different than serving as President. The office comes with responsibilities so serious that the occupant can't always take the politically easy route without hurting the country he is sworn to defend."
McCain isn’t behaving like a senator by refusing to cast his vote one way or the other and, by throwing pot shots at Sen. Obama only highlights the fact McCain is irrelevant.
McCain’s comment, "unlike Senator Obama, my admiration, respect and deep gratitude for America's veterans is something more than a convenient campaign pledge. I think I have earned the right to make that claim," flies in the face of logic and is an arrogant, dishonorable attempt to excuse the inexcusable.
McCain isn’t beyond reproach; Americans will remember McCain's inaction and McCain’s refusal to adhere to the same standards and expectations that we apply to Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton, and will not be excused. This behavior is not what America desires from its presidential candidates.
NOTE TO REPUBLICANS: McCAIN’S POW STATUS WILL NOT AMELIORATE HIS FAILURE TO ACT IN GOOD FAITH ON BEHALF OF OUR VETS.
McCAIN IS NOT THE ONLY AMERICAN WHO HAS SERVED OUR NATION HONORABLY.

[ishy]

Senator McCain, your response to Senator Obama's comments on the Senate floor is very disrespectful and disparaging. Your angry over-the-top comments conveniently did NOT address why you as a Veteran, a sitting Senator, and a presidential nominee opposed the GI bill. What are your reasons?
If this is the kind of anger we can expect from you when things do not go your way, you ought not to be running for the presidency.
To repeat what you said, "if this is how you'd behave as president, the country would regret your election"...

[wolf58]

September 2007: McCain voted against the Webb amendment calling for adequate troop rest between deployments. At the time, nearly 65% of people polled in a CNN poll indicted that "things are going either moderately badly or very badly in Iraq.


July 2007: McCain voted against a plan to drawdown troop levels in Iraq. At the time, an ABC poll found that 63% thought the invasion was not worth it, and a CBS News poll found that 72% of respondents wanted troops out within 2 years.


March 2007: McCain was too busy to vote on a bill that would require the start of a drawdown in troop levels within 120 days with a goal of withdrawing nearly all combat troops within one year. Around this time, an NBC News poll found that 55% of respondents indicated that the US goal of achieving victory in Iraq is not possible. This number has not moved significantly since then.


February 2007: For such a strong supporter of the escalation, McCain didn’t even bother to show up and vote against a resolution condemning it. However, at the time a CNN poll found that only 16% of respondents wanted to send more troops to Iraq (that number has since declined to around 10%), while 60% said that some or all should be withdrawn. This number has since gone up to around 70%.


June 2006: McCain voted against a resolution that Bush start withdrawing troops but with no timeline to do so.

[wolf58]

May 2006: McCain voted against an amendment that would provide $20 million to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for health care facilities.


April 2006: McCain was one of only 13 Senators to vote against $430,000,000 for the Department of Veteran Affairs for Medical Services for outpatient care and treatment for veterans.


March 2006: McCain voted against increasing Veterans medical services funding by $1.5 billion in FY 2007 to be paid for by closing corporate tax loopholes.


March 2004: McCain once again voted for abusive tax loopholes over veterans when he voted against creating a reserve fund to allow for an increase in Veterans' medical care by $1.8 billion by eliminating abusive tax loopholes. Jeez, McCain really loves those tax loopholes for corporations, since he voted for them over our veterans' needs.


October 2003: McCain voted to table an amendment by Senator Dodd that called for an additional $322,000,000 for safety equipment for United States forces in Iraq and to reduce the amount provided for reconstruction in Iraq by $322,000,000.


April 2003: McCain urged other Senate members to table a vote (which never passed) to provide more than $1 billion for National Guard and Reserve equipment in Iraq related to a shortage of helmets, tents, bullet-proof inserts, and tactical vests.


August 2001: McCain voted against increasing the amount available for medical care for veterans by $650,000,000

So who is looking out forthe veterans? Not McCain

[KiwisCanFly]

I'm curious, have u any stats on what McCain has voted on that would benefit the veterans?

[KrishnaCore]

Despite the fact that I am a Democrat, I always looked upon John McCain as a man with a great deal of class and integrity. I don't know what the hell happend to him, but THIS is not the John McCain that I once respected.

[xmw]

I agree. I used to be a black Republican (still black) and fully supported McCain in 2000 and before that. I dodn't know what the hell has become of him either. SERIOULSY.but i am really worried if he wins. He is scary now.

[filo]

I lost all respect for him in 2004. I thought at the time that he was so far up Dubaya's butt because he was promised the nomination this year. It is the only thing that makes sense after the Karl Rove tactics use on him in 2000.

Sheer naked ambition.

[Insideout143]

What Obama said he stood by in his vote.
What McCain said was 'just words'.

[abouttime]

McCain has no Shame.

MCCAIN: "Perhaps, if Senator Obama would take the time and trouble to understand..."

What, do you think McCain - that our troops are like throw away diapers. You are disgusting McCain...
McCain is a discredit to all Americans. (There.... I got it out of system! great therapy)

[kesiac]

He des not deserve the right to make that claim. John McCain is no war hero. He went to war (serving only 20 combat hours), he was shot down, he was captured. He was given preferential treatment because his daddy was an admiral. He made 32 propoganda tapes for the Viet Cong while he was held captive. He has blocked the release of classified POW/MIA documents that the families of vets who are MIA need to try to find out what happened to their families. Vietnam vets do not stand with this man, they do not endorse this man, they are against him. He did not support soldiers then, he didnt support them 16 years ago, and he does not support them now.

[nathananderson]

If, by "preferrential treatment," you mean "especially bad" treatment, then you'd be right

[TrueIndy08]

he spilled his guts which others refused to do...

I don't count being in the military as a metric of being the PRESIDENT... its honorable... but then again, we'd have millions standing up to be POTUS, and they aren't all qualified wither... this man is not fit to be POTUS

[rzan]

He was no hero, that is certain. But he did suffer greatly at the hands of his captors, and it is hard to overlook that fact.

[wolf58]

All you have to do is pull up McCain's voting record on veterans issue and it says it all. McCain votes against or does not vote at all. I as a veteran do not see a friend in McCain he cares for veterans about as much as Bush.

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/m000303/

[openlids]

McCain has lost his marbles

i think he put them in his mouth

[Plus15]

Everybody stammers and stutters praising John McCain's military service to his country. What they really do is salute the five years he spent in prison camp after he was captured. That was over 40 years ago. Now-a-days he does nothing for the troops any different in policy then military deserter George W. Bush or serial military service avoider Dick Cheney or anal cyst suffering 4-F Rush Limbaugh.

He's been thanked and praised and pampered and been able to hide his violations of respect and honor for all Americans and especially current servicemen by continually cloaking himself in the horrible terror of his prison camp experience. Politically hiding behind it like a child in his mothers skirts.

Enough is enough, all he seems to have for our current military in the line of fire and the rest of us suffering through this disgusting and dangerous GOP invented disaster is bullshit. Meanwhile he hides under this protective bubble constructed mostly of his and his backers mantra of - don't you dare say anything bad about McCain he served in the military and was a tortured POW.

Now that he has turned his back on the veterans, claiming only he understands veterans issues correctly, it's time to remove the 40 year old cone of political protection and let him be serviced like all candidates are.

[SaltySaltillo]

Not that I wish 5 years of POW on anyone or want to put myself in the position of suggesting that he did not show great courage, strength, and resolve during his five years, but if you think about it, McCain is an odd sort of war "hero." His heroism is not the result of any particularly noteworthy action taken by him but rather by what happened to him... Passive heroism?

[aquarius2001]

That is a good point.

[bigfated]

As if we needed further proof....McCain is the same kind of asshole as Bush. Neither has the vaguest idea of what the people of America really want. He and the Chimp-in-Charge can spin it any way they want----the proof is in the pudding; THEY DON'T GIVE A FIDDLER'S FUCK ABOUT OUR TROOPS. I'm getting tired of hearing about McCain the hero----like G.W.Bush#$it---he is a phony. And a much too old phony to be in charge of a pay toilet---let alone America. It is waaaaay past time for real change.....and that means the GOP is shit-out-of-luck! They've ruined their chances to govern....by proving conclusively they simply do not know how to govern. LOSERS!
Obama will clean up some of their slime trail...but it sure won't be easy. There is not a single Republican who can be trusted to do what is right for anyone earning less that a six-figure income. FUKKEM!!!

[eladora]

He didnt vote to ban torture.
He didnt vote to support veterans.
If you dont think he is bush the 3rd think again.

[JLee]

McCain is screwed either way. Either he supports the bill and gets branded even more of a liberal (ha) by the far right, or he opposes it and is criticized for not supporting the very troops whose backs he hopes to use as stepping-stones to the White House.

In other words: In addition to doing right by the soldiers and setting the first stages for the political demise of the war in Iraq, this bill brilliantly exploits McCain's fundamental weakness as a candidate. McCain's unbelievable lash-out at Obama is just symptomatic of a gradual and entertaining meltdown of his campaign.

Ah, you Dems, you. Finally doing just the kind of slick politicking I like to see.

[abouttime]

I like what your'e saying, except that McCain's option of not voting Was his third option - probably the wort thing he could have done polically. It was a major no-show; a blunder of weakness and re-capitulation. (He lost the liberals an conservatives - and the election)